Royals to play exhibition game in Omaha

The Omaha Storm Chasers announced on Thursday that the franchise’s 50th season will begin with a monumental event on March 26, 2018, when the Storm Chasers will play their parent club Kansas City Royals in an exhibition game at Werner Park.

The exhibition contest will mark the first time the Kansas City Royals franchise has played at Werner Park. It will also be the first time the Royals will have participated in a game in the city of Omaha since 2000.

“We are incredibly thrilled to announce that we will be hosting the Kansas City Royals at Werner Park in 2018,” said Storm Chasers President and General Manager Martie Cordaro. “The Royals organization, starting at the top with General Manager Dayton Moore, Assistant General Manager of Baseball Operations Scott Sharp, Assistant General Manager of Player Personnel J.J. Picollo and going all the way down, have been tremendous partners and we could not be more excited to welcome the Royals franchise next year.”

The Storm Chasers franchise has been the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals since the inception of the franchise in 1969. Under the Royals partnership, Omaha has won 16 Division titles, seven League championships and three Triple-A National Championships, including Back-to-Back Triple-A National Championships from 2013-14. The affiliation is the longest Triple-A affiliation, and third-largest of any level in baseball, behind the Reading Fightin’ Phils and Lakeland Flying Tigers, both of which began in 1967.